My system is not decent

Chapter 1792 Great Tang relic, unique
Since 3000 BC, gold millet technology (or welding bead technology) has been born.

From about the ninth century BC to the first century BC, the Etruscans in central Italy developed it to a perfect level.

With the opening of the land and sea Silk Road in the Han Dynasty, this exquisite skill was introduced into our country.

And it shined brilliantly in metalworking in Han and Tang Dynasties, becoming one of the eight major gold crafts in China.

The technique of fried beads was an important inlay decoration method for gold products in the Tang Dynasty in my country. The Tang people vividly called it "golden millet".

Although called golden millet, these golden beads are much smaller than corn, usually around 1 mm in diameter.

Fried Beads - cut the equidistant pure gold into small line segments, sprinkle them on the charcoal, melt and condense into round beads with fire.

Then sieve the larger particles, densely spread on the metal embryo and weld them together to become the decorative texture on the surface of the utensils, also known as "linked bead pattern" or "fish egg pattern".

Why do fried beads need to be melted on charcoal? The purpose is to use charcoal ash as a base to support the condensed gold beads, so that the particles can form a complete spherical shape.

High-purity gold does not oxidize when it is melted, so pure gold can be joined by melting and contacting the two ends directly without relying on solder.

This phenomenon of melting without producing an oxide layer is called "water leakage", and fried beads are produced by using such metal characteristics.

Charcoal ash can also be subdivided into three methods, the first one is to melt gold and drop it into the charcoal ash.

The second is to use natural gold sand directly, heat it and put it in a pot filled with charcoal ash.

The third is to beat the gold into flakes, then cut them into small pieces, and heat them in charcoal ashes.

At the same time, the container should be rotated, and the condensed gold beads will form a circle under continuous tumbling, and this method can produce a real "golden millet".

Arrange the golden millet on top of the gold ornaments, and then heat the whole thing.

But this also requires the goldsmith to have a good grasp of the temperature, otherwise not only the golden millet is prone to collapse.

Even the gold jewelry itself will have orange peel lines, which will affect the appearance.

But if the operation is successful, the golden millet stands on the gold surface, round and three-dimensional, plump and vivid, which is extremely beneficial for depicting some flower patterns.

Except for pure gold or pure silver with high fineness, other metals such as copper, iron, tin, etc., because the surface will be covered with an oxide layer after melting, the metal characteristics are not conducive to water leakage and will melt and condense into beads, so they cannot be used. Apply the technique of frying beads.

Traditional craftsmanship is the treasure left to us by our ancestors, and the spirit of craftsmanship is intangible wealth.

Combining ancient craftsmanship with modern design concepts can make tradition and innovation collide with wonderful sparks.

Modern jewelry technology developers, while developing new products, have also begun to focus on the integration and innovation of traditional craftsmanship, and create more jewelry products that are rich in cultural heritage and charm, and in line with contemporary aesthetics.

According to records, as early as the 1st century BC, metal bead technology has been widely used in jewelry making.

The metal bead craft has been widely circulated in the four ancient civilizations.

This is the most common way of adorning jewelry before the metal welding technique was commonly used.

For example, Yinsan jewelry craftsmen have developed and passed on this technology.

Today, we can still see a large number of Indian handicrafts using metal beads.

Of course, there are also many skilled craftsmen in our country who can use this technique to produce many exquisite works.

There are even some skilled craftsmen who have copied a large number of ancient exquisite jewelry.

Chen Wenzhe naturally likes antiques the most, and the processing and production of gold and silverware must not avoid the Tang Dynasty.

In the Xishan History Museum, the "Treasures of the Tang Dynasty" has always been one of the exhibition halls that people like to check in the most.

For example, the exquisite cultural relics unearthed in the cellar of Hejia Village amazed countless audiences who came here.

Among them, there is a small pure gold comb that is particularly eye-catching.

Although it may seem inconspicuous, its manufacturing process is unique.

What is the magic craft?Definitely not a simple craft.

In October 1970, in Hejia Village on the outskirts of Chang'an City, when a villager was digging the foundation for a new house, they accidentally dug out two large pottery urns.

The most important thing is that it is also filled with all kinds of extremely exquisite gold, silver and jade objects.

Later, after some investigation and identification, and according to the inscriptions on some gold objects, the burial time of these relics was determined.

This was probably buried by its owner during the Mutiny in Jingyuan during the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty.

Through the study of inscriptions, it is deduced that its owner may be Liu Zhen, the envoy of Shangshu Zuyong at that time, who fled due to the war and buried it.

After counting, there are more than 1000 cultural relics discovered this time.

Moreover, they were all the daily necessities of the royal family at that time, such as various silver pots and gold cups, incense burners, coins, jade belts and gold ornaments, etc.

These things not only have extremely high artistic value, but also represent the highest level of gold and silverware manufacturing in the Tang Dynasty at that time.

For example, a gold comb back is one of the representatives.

The back of the golden comb is in the shape of a half crescent, which was a kind of headgear for women at that time.

For example, "When the spring breeze blows to the ground where you dance, don't give me a hair comb when you come back" (Wang Jian's "Gong Ci"), "Walk a small comb all over your hair, and apply a round dimple in front of you" (Yuan Zhen's "Hateful Makeup").

Gold comb backs were an attractive decoration at the time, so they must have been beautifully made.

Finally, after measurement, the back of the golden comb is about 7.9 cm long, 1.5 cm high and 0.34 cm thick.

It is manufactured from two gold plates hammered together and has a fine trim on the outside.

But the most surprising thing is that there are countless delicate small gold beads welded on its surface, and the diameter is about 0.5 mm.

The back of the gold comb is more than 1000 years old, but now you can still see these small gold beads, which are not only extremely exquisite, but also have no looseness or shedding.

Therefore, some experts can't help but wonder, how did ancient craftsmen make it?
For a while, the experts were clueless. Later, they solved the mystery of the back of the gold comb by consulting several master goldsmiths.

After observation, the master craftsmen found that the back of the gold comb is made of an ancient gold craft, that is, fried beads.

In the "Tiangong Kaiwu" of the Ming Dynasty, fried beads were mentioned when explaining the manufacturing process of goldware.

It originated in the Han Dynasty, but it is difficult to manufacture and has high requirements for welding technology.

Therefore, until the Tang Dynasty, with the deepening of exchanges with the West, craftsmen learned the advanced welding technology of the West, and then fried beads began to rise.

The first step in the bead frying process is to heat and melt high-purity gold at high temperature, and then use a metal filter to rest on a wooden barrel filled with water.

In the second step, pour the melted liquid gold into the strainer while it is hot, so that the liquid gold starts to drip continuously.

After meeting with water, small golden beads with distinct particles are formed, and then the golden beads are picked up and selected for use.

The third step is to arrange the gold beads in a corresponding pattern on the surface of the gold comb, and then put it on the charcoal for heating and welding.

(End of this chapter)